Three African American boys in red, blue, and yellow shirts stand chest-deep in a mound of white cotton, grinning at the camera against a dark background. The printed caption reads "A STUDY IN BLACK AND WHITE," a title that points to the contrast between the white cotton and the boys' faces. Cotton was the South's dominant cash crop in the early 1900s, and harvest scenes like this were common souvenir subjects for photographers.
Postcard Details
Message · English, in pencil
Feb - 28th
Mrs. Jno. W. [illegible] dont pay any attention to date - the second [illegible] and 9 o'clock. Made [illegible]
[illegible] a nice time. coming home [illegible] I will be [illegible]
were here. Lovingly Chie
White border; hand-tinted photograph captioned "A STUDY IN BLACK AND WHITE"; handwritten message in pencil across the front margins and over the image; light soiling and edge wear.
Postmark: NEW ORLEANS, LA. MAR 8 3-4 PM 1905. Undivided back with printed "THIS SIDE FOR THE ADDRESS", 1¢ green Franklin stamp, white border on the picture; light edge wear and a few surface scuffs.
Cite this card
Boys in a cotton pile, New Orleans, LA, 1905, postcard, c. 1905. PostalPast Collection. https://postalpast.com/postcard/boys-in-a-cotton-pile-new-orleans-la-1905. Accessed November 2, 2026.
